In the span of just twelve months, AVA Media, the leading and most viewed Kurdish TV channel, has received 17 international awards from nine of the industry's most respected bodies, including The Shorty Awards, The Webby Awards, Telly Awards, Shorty Impact Awards, Communicator Awards, Stevie Awards MENA, NYX Awards, Digiday Awards, and WAN-IFRA; the global association of news publishers, which named AVA Media as its Best Emerging News Provider in the Middle East. The titles include multiple gold, silver, and bronze distinctions. 

It is an unprecedented success for a Kurdish media organization in the Middle East in a short span of time, with AVA Media setting a new national record – a testament to its professional journalism and campaigns that have changed lives across the Kurdistan Region. 

The awards recognize a range of the agency's work, from its humanitarian response to the December 2025 flooding that hit the Chamchamal area in Sulaimani province; in which the network launched a campaign that raised $7.6 million in financial assistance and aid for 3,560 families affected by the floods, to the Fayli Xelk Initiative (People's File), its community powered journalism platform, which has addressed and resolved problems facing local communities valued at $507 million affecting some 140,000 people. 

Among its other recognized work was video journalism covering Rojava (northeast Syria), Syria's internal conflicts, and reporting on drug trafficking in the region. The significance of this lies in what it represents - a sustained judgment by different independent juries across three continents that the organization's work meets international standards.

AVA Media's sports division likewise collected several awards. AVA Sports received three international awards from the NYX Awards, Stevie Awards MENA, and the Communicator Awards. The titles recognize their media campaigns supporting Kurdistan's Zakho SC in the club's successful pursuit of the FIFA Best Fan Award. AVA Sports broke the national record for the most international titles, a first for Kurdish sports journalism. 

Earlier this year, AVA Media's famous prime time news anchor Hawraz Gulpi visited the US to receive a Shorty Award in person for the media and humanitarian campaign the outlet launched in response to the Chamchamal floods. His visit quickly turned into a tour as he was welcomed by Kurdish diaspora communities in New York, Washington, and Nashville, home to the largest Kurdish population in the US.

The agency's impactful work also drew praise from members of the US Congress, including Congressman Rich McCormick, commending AVA Media's team as "people who are fighting for humanitarian rights…making sure minorities in Iraq have a voice." Congressman Juan Vargas also followed suit, saying, "I think you've done very good humanitarian work…continue the hard work," and Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee added his congratulations to the team "on your excellent work and your incredible award."

In January alone, according to official reports from AVA Media, the combined reach of their social media channels across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube reached a staggering 1.63 billion users. The numbers indicate that their viewership extends beyond the Kurdistan Region into the wider Kurdish-speaking world across the diaspora communities.

AVA Media’s website tells a similar story. According to official data from Similarweb, a web analytics company, AVA Media’s website ranks ahead of all its competitors in the region. Most visits come from Iraq, followed by Turkey, Germany, Sweden, and Norway; following the trace of the Kurdish diaspora in Europe. 

In a 2026 survey by Rama Agency, a research and production agency based in the Kurdistan region, AVA Media was named the most watched news channel, while its sports division, AVA Sports, was named both the best and most watched local sports TV channel, and its AVA Mondial TV show has been named the best sports TV show. These recognitions are an indication of the channel’s solid foundation and popularity, as well as its leadership in both digital and broadcast media.

For the Kurdistan Region, AVA Media's record of international achievements over the past year carries more weight beyond the industry. Each of these 17 awards was collected under the name of Kurdistan, in competitions judged by leading figures in the global media industry and won against a large pool of some of the world's best media agencies. AVA Media carried its stories to a global audience, and in doing so it also helped carry the name of Kurdistan on the international stage; amplifying the voice of a nation and proving to the world that world-class and impact-driven journalism can be built from Erbil just as surely as from London or New York.